The Memory Keeper's Daughter November 1988 Summary & Analysis

Summary: November 1988

In Pittsburgh, Phoebe meets Robert, a young man with Down syndrome. They develop a mutual attraction and talk of marriage. A downtown law firm contacts Caroline with news of David’s death and the account David set up for Phoebe, and they ask that she come in person to find out the details. Caroline is shocked to hear that David has died, and she accepts that he will never meet his grown daughter. Caroline, Al, Phoebe, and Robert attend a dance put on by the Down syndrome activist group, the Upside Down Society. On the bus ride to the venue, Caroline expresses her concern to Al about how tired he seems, but he states that business is booming for him with his seniority and it’s not a good time to retire.

During the dance, Phoebe disappears, and Caroline finds her and Robert alone in the kitchen about to kiss. Caroline is forced to accept that her daughter has adult appetites and passions but is unable to see how the couple can marry and raise a family. Al reminds Caroline of her goal of independence for Phoebe. Caroline and Al agree to visit the lawyer about David’s bequest when Al returns from his trip. Two days later, the police call to tell her that Al had an accident and is in the hospital with a broken leg, the truck totaled. During his convalescence, Caroline keeps the appointment with the lawyer. When Al decides to finally retire from over-the-road trucking, she tells him that David’s bequest will give them some peace of mind as they let Phoebe follow her dream with Robert.

Analysis: November 1988

Caroline’s life is changing beyond her control. Phoebe and Robert aspire to marry, and Caroline at first dismisses the idea, but Al tries to navigate this information with an open mind, sensitive to the fact that people with Down syndrome have age-appropriate hormonal development and sexual feelings. He reminds her that she’s worked all her life to make Phoebe capable of being self-sufficient, but Caroline cannot face life without Phoebe.

When Caroline hears of David’s death, the finality of his never having met his daughter hits her, and she wonders what she might have done differently. She appreciates Al’s offer to go with her to investigate the secret account David had created in her and Phoebe’s names. However, Al’s near-fatal accident debilitates him so that Caroline goes to see the lawyer on her own, furthering the path she chose on her own years ago to do all she could for Phoebe. Caroline learns that the money David left would be enough to relieve their worry of Phoebe’s care. For the first time, Caroline feels optimistic about the future.

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